I Can't Stop Stealing

Britain was top of Europe's league for shoplifting in 2009 with an item being stolen from a UK store every minute. For many, nicking something is a one-off teenage rite of passage or a way to feed a drugs habit, but for some it becomes an addiction in itself. This programme meets three people who have all battled with the urge to shoplift, following their stories as they reveal why they did it, the buzz they got from it, the impact it has had on their lives and how they kicked the habit. It also shows the people whose job it is to stop them getting away with it in a cat and mouse game where each side thinks they can outwit the other. Shoplifting carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years and retailers spend millions of pounds on high tech surveillance equipment, yet people continue to brazenly steal from shops.